In general, the present invention relates to wrist watches and wrist-top computers, which may be equipped with numerous functions, including for example location determination, especially by means of the global positioning system (GPS), capture and analysis of the cardiac frequency of the user of the device, altimetric—and barometric applications, and the like. These diverse functions requiring corresponding electronic components inside the watch, such wrist computers usually are quite voluminous and, in particular, often need to be equipped with watch cases of rather large size, some of these devices having in fact a width of 4 cm to 6 cm or even more. This has consequences on several aspects both on the level of the case as of the whole device. A first aspect is induced by the fact that conventional wrist watch cases are provided at opposite lateral ends with the watch straps allowing the user to secure the device on his wrist. In the mentioned case of large wrist computers this causes a large distance between the respective ends of the watch straps, i.e. between their axes of attachment to the watch case. Consequently, devices equipped with such large cases are rather uncomfortable, if not impossible, to wear by persons having a small wrist diameter. This aspect is even worse for a category of conventional wrist computers which have a case made up of a first part of appreciably circular shape which is prolonged in the direction of one of its watch straps by a second part of appreciably longitudinal shape and of similar width like the watch strap. In fact, such prolongation is often required to have sufficient space for all electronic components, including the normal watch movement, the energy source, as well as supplementary equipment like a GPS receiver and antenna, etc. With the corresponding watch strap being in such conventional devices attached to the outer end of the longitudinal watch case prolongation, the distance between the respective ends of the watch straps is thus further increased. This means that the disadvantage in view of the wearing of such devices by persons having a small wrist is even more accentuated for such kind of devices, even though the watch case prolongation is usually inclined downwards in order to better fit the shape of a human wrist.
A second aspect caused by the large size of such devices lies in the body of the watch case itself. In fact, watch cases for such devices may have quite complicated shapes, e.g. in the above mentioned case of watch cases made up of a first part of appreciably circular shape prolonged by a second, downwards bent part of appreciably longitudinal shape. Prior art watch cases of this type are made up of several parts, usually of a bottom part having approximately half of the height of the whole watch case and of at least one cover part which provides for the remaining height and is fitted onto the bottom part, these parts forming together the main body of the watch case. Such splitting of the main housing of the wrist computer into two or more parts may have some advantages from the point of view of manufacturing the parts of the watch case and of the simplicity of assembling the whole device. However, there are important disadvantages of such construction, especially due to the fact that the individual parts making up the watch case in most of the cases need to be assembled in water tight manner, given that most wrist computers are designed for applications requiring water tightness. A main housing with a split design, of course, requires a gasket of quite complicated shape, which by definition may cause future problems in view of the water tightness of the device. Also, the total surface to be sealed is increased, which not only diminishes reliability of water tightness but moreover is voluminous, thus further reducing the space available for the electronic components of the device. At the same time, wrist computers usually are exposed to all kind of situations and therefore need to be designed both in robust and easy to use manner. Watch cases with a main body made up of several parts suffer drawbacks in this respect, because of evidently being less robust, since any bonding between parts is typically a weakness in construction, as well as being less easy to use by the end user. For example, boundary interfaces between the housing parts of such conventional watch cases form edges collecting impurities which will need frequent cleaning by the user. At the same time, such boundary interfaces impose limits on the design of the device and are potentially negative for its aesthetic perception, since not allowing to have surfaces with a clean look all over the watch case. Moreover, ensuring water tightness on 3D (not flat) interconnecting surfaces is more challenging, hence costly and subject to defects.
Prior art watch cases and wrist watch devices of the type described here above thus inherently comprise several problems and disadvantages. Therefore, there is a need for a watch case, for corresponding watch straps, as well as for a wrist watch device lacking these drawbacks and difficulties.